This application relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for injecting fluids in gas turbine engines.
Known gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air which is mixed with a fuel and channeled to a combustor wherein the mixture is ignited within a combustion chamber for generating hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases are channeled downstream to a turbine, which extracts energy from the combustion gases for powering the compressor, as well as producing useful work to propel an aircraft in flight or to power a load, such as an electrical generator. Accordingly, during operation, components downstream from the combustion chamber are exposed to combustion gases, and over time, continued exposure to combustion gases may increase an operating temperature of such components.
To facilitate reducing component operating temperatures, at least some known engines include cooling injection systems which discharge a cooling fluid towards the components. More specifically, at least some known cooling injection systems include a plurality of injectors coupled to an annular plenum. The annular plenum facilitates providing a substantially uniform flow to the plurality of circumferentially-spaced injectors, which then discharge the cooling flow downstream. More specifically, the cooling air is discharged from the injectors at a pre-desired injection angle to prevent from inducing turbulence in the flow downstream from the injectors. However, such cooling injection systems may be costly and time-consuming to assemble because of the plurality of welds that must be completed and because of engine space constraints.